From Resilient Lismore supporting the local community in the 2022 Northern Rivers floods, to the countless volunteers assisting in the Black Summer bushfires, NSW communities step up in times of crisis.
The Spontaneous Volunteer Support (SVS) Program is designed to ensure that in situations where people decide to spontaneously or informally help during emergencies, organisations are better placed to coordinate this support to complement trained volunteers and emergency service efforts.
The SVS Program is one of the outcomes of a NSW Government review to help develop a longer-term vision for emergency volunteering in NSW to ensure its continued sustainability into the future.
Recent prolonged and catastrophic disasters, and subsequent inquiries into preparation, response and recovery efforts, have highlighted the importance of volunteers to the state’s emergency management capability.
A review coordinated by the Premier’s Department on behalf of the State Emergency Management Committee (SEMC) found that while emergency volunteers and the organisations that support them provide a strong foundation for the state’s future emergency capability, an enhanced approach to planning for the future of volunteering is required.
The review involved consultation with more than 4,000 emergency volunteers and collaboration with SEMC member agencies, ensuring a comprehensive approach to addressing the challenges and opportunities in emergency volunteering. Emergency volunteering in NSW has strong foundations, with many highly committed individuals and volunteer organisations.
Formal volunteering in association with emergency services organisations is at the core of NSW’s emergency management framework. While the number of formal volunteers has remained relatively stable in recent years, some communities (particularly in some remote and rural areas) are experiencing challenges in relation to recruitment and retention.
In the face of increased demands resulting from population growth and the escalating impacts of disaster events, NSW emergency volunteers have continued to play a key role in keeping communities safe, helping them to recover and working to build community resilience.
The review underscores the need for a coordinated whole-of-sector approach to planning for the future of volunteering.
Key recommendations include:
- A dedicated Action Plan to grow and strengthen the emergency services volunteer workforce, focus on improving volunteer recruitment and addressing barriers to volunteering.
- Integration of informal volunteers as part of NSW’s emergency management arrangements: updating the NSW State Emergency Management Plan to recognise the significant contribution of informal volunteers and strategies developed to include them in the emergency management framework.
- Improved engagement with volunteers: The NSW Government is launching a new online hub to promote and connect community members with the wide range of emergency volunteering opportunities across the state, including training programs.
- Improved recognition of emergency volunteers: including the establishment by the Minister for Emergency Services of a new state-based award for volunteers.
- Community capability building: a strengthened approach to building community capability and resilience to respond to disaster events including a more coordinated approach to informal volunteering through the new SVS Program to support community organisations.
These outcomes have been developed in alignment to the findings and recommendations of the 2022 Flood Inquiries, with their implementation to be overseen by the SEMC.
The competitive SVS grant program opens next week.
View the review outcomes.
Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib said:
“Whether on the frontline or behind the scenes, our emergency service volunteers’ unwavering commitment in the face of unprecedented challenges has been demonstrated time and time again.”
“This important review underscores our commitment to support and strengthen the emergency volunteering sector and provides a roadmap for the future for our volunteers and the communities they serve.”
“As we face increasing frequency and severity of disasters, it has never been more important for us to support volunteers in their work and make it easier for the next generation to take up the mantle.”
“We know that people who want to volunteer can sometimes find it difficult to commit time consistently, by supporting informal volunteering we are providing another way to help ensure more volunteers are ready when the call comes.”
“I encourage people who care about their community and want to make a contribution, no matter how big or small, to visit our new emergency volunteering hub and have a look at some of the exciting and meaningful opportunities that are available.”
Minister with responsibility for Volunteering Jodie Harrison said:
“Volunteering enriches the lives of people, strengthening local communities across NSW to be resilient and inclusive.”
“Communities across NSW have shown throughout many natural disasters that they have a breadth of abilities and compassion in their approach to disaster response and recovery.”
“This program will go a long way to supporting that important engagement and co-ordination by volunteers.”
